Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Senator Erwin Tulfo presides over the Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the proposed P16.3-billion 2026 budget of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and its attached agencies on Monday, October 6, 2025. Lawmakers discussed funding for overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs) welfare assistance, reintegration services, legal support, and the operations of the DMW’s Migrant Workers Offices abroad. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

SENATE BUDGET HEARING- DMW

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176457381914120251006-senate-budget-hearing-DMW-MT4_cropped_processed_by_imagy.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Lawmakers discussed funding for overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs) welfare assistance, reintegration services, legal support, and the operations of the DMW’s Migrant Workers Offices abroad. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATE) </strong>— Senate Finance Committee chairman Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday acknowledged the possibility of a reenacted budget for 2026.</p><p>Gatchalian said that based on current timelines, the 2026 national budget may be signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. just 3 days shy of the New Year.</p><p>Under the 1987 Constitution, the preceding year&#x27;s budget is reenacted until a new budget is passed if Congress fails to pass a new budget before the year ends.</p><p>&quot;Ako meron akong fear. Kasi nga if you look at the timeline, ang ratification December 17. So ibig sabihin mag-overtime sila para ma-enroll yung copy. If you look at the signing in Malacañang, December 29, so that&#x27;s two days before the New Year&#x27;s,&quot; Gatchalian said.</p><p>&quot;So medyo tight siya, medyo tight. So everyone should really work overtime. Actually, even kahapon, nagtrabaho kami para matapos yun. And then today, magtatrabaho rin kami para matapos,&quot; he added.</p><p>Gatchalian said should the current timelines hold—and barring unforeseen circumstances—it can still be avoided.</p><p>&quot;With our schedule right now, wala. Hopefully, wala naman magiging natural calamities. For our schedule, wala. Kaya nga, if bukas kahit na Pasay Day, holiday, papasok tayo sa session para mahabol lang yung walang session today. In fact, naghahanap si SP Sotto ng sana sa PICC sana kami today eh, magsa-session. But mahirap kasi records nasa Senate eh. So we decided na tomorrow na lang kahit na holiday.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>NEXT STEPS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Gatchalian gave a preview of the next steps of the Senate in the budget process after it ended the interpellations last week. </p><p>Gatchalian expects that under this time table, the Senate version of the the 2026 National Budget will be approved by the chamber on 3rd and final reading by next week.</p><p>&quot;So, tomorrow, December 2, period of amendments. December 3 will be approval on second reading. December 9 will be the third reading. Tapos hopefully masign namin yung bicam report December 16. Tapos ang tentative na signing ng budget will be December 29,&quot; Gatchalian told reporters. </p><p>&quot;Malapit na. Malapit na. Talagang paspasan siya. &quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>BICAM SCHEDULE, PROPOSED RULES</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The bicameral conference committee is tentatively scheduled to last for 3 days beginning December 11.</p><p>The meeting will be held in Manila and will also be live streamed.</p><p>&quot;Merong isang venue na rinecommend sa may Intramuros. It&#x27;s a government property or government venue. So, they will allow us to use it for free. Babayaran lang namin yung caterer. So, at least makakatipid tayo in that sense.&quot;</p><p>Gatchalian conceded that the bicameral conference committee could become unwieldy</p><p>&quot;The bicam can become unwieldy kasi lahat naman ng legislator may kanya-kanyang advocacy. Kung hindi mo napagbigyan, sabihin nila, importante ito, pasok natin. Or kung hindi napagbigyan during the committee hearing, during the plenary debates, i-voice out nila yan sa bicam... And imagine kung 12 members kami, sila 12 [sa House] members, that&#x27;s 24 people... And walang katapusan pag ganyan,&quot; Gatchalian told reporters. </p><p>Gatchalian said he would propose an outline of the items that should be discussed in the bicam.</p><p>&quot;So I would suggest, dahil naka-upload naman ito sa website, ang mangyayari dito, uploaded na yung committee report ng Senate, uploaded na rin yung third reading version, uploaded na rin yung GAB. So i-compare namin yun yung GAB at yung Senate third reading version. At kung ano yung mga differences doon, yun na lang ang pag-uusapan. I would propose na ganun na lang. Na wala na tayong pag-uusapan outside of those. Kung hindi, talagang magiging unwieldy.&quot;</p><p>Gatchalian also bared the ground rules and process he is proposing for the open bicameral conference committee deliberations on the 2026 National Budget.</p><p>&quot;Well, mayroon akong ground rules na pinag-usapan namin ng aking counterpart si Congresswoman Suansing. Yung mga ground rules natin, like number one, yun na nga, walang alien na mga programs or projects tulad ng AKAP or other things. At pangalawa, let&#x27;s limit it to the disagreeing provisions. So, yun yung dalawang ground rules na binigay ko sa kanya.&quot;</p><p>Gatchalian reiterated that no insertions will be allowed the next national budget.</p><p>&quot;Bawal. Hindi na namin papayagan yan. </p>

<p>Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said that based on current timelines, the 2026 national budget may be signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. just 3 days before the New Year.</p>

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said that based on current timelines, the 2026 national budget may be signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. just 3 days before the New Year.

'Medyo tight': Senate Finance panel chair admits fear of reenacted budget for 2026

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Nation

'Medyo tight': Senate Finance panel chair admits fear of reenacted budget for 2026

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 01, 2025 03:25 PM PHT

|

Updated December 01, 2025 04:19 PM PHT

Read More:

Senate

2026 budget

politics

Sherwin Gatchalian

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.